The proper answer to that is "it doesn't ****ing matter if it was in the games because the anime is not the game, you nitwit". Or maybe I need to remember to put Maxim on ignore the next time I go to BMGf. ("are we getting the HIGHLY IMPORTANT FUEGO IRONWORKS IN THE ANIME NOOOOW? No? We're getting a fun filler about Rotom? But they have the Old Chateau in the wrong area. Waaaaaaaah, they ruined everything!")
The wrathful cynicism of having read this sort of thing after way too many years on Pokemon forums aside, no they are not on Iron Island in the games, but realistically a small rodent like that would find its way onto any island
that gets more than one boat every hundred years.
And now onto the important part of the post!
-Nope, still can't get used to Empoleon's hilariously high-pitched cry.
-Jun is oddly calm about his penguin being spontaneously electrocuted.
-But not as calm about his penguin turning on him soon afterwards!
-Another episode, another reason for High Touch to get stuck in my head for hours.
-AshnCo is planning its trip to the Arctic, I see. I do hope that Snowpoint City has more...civilization in it than it did in the games(not that hard, just give it ten buildings instead of five), but that's a topic for another time.
-Aha! Don't think you can fool me, Nurse Joy! I see you using that Chansey as unpaid cleaning staff!
-Iron Island seems like it has quite a party going on today!
-The Return of the Revenge of the Rebirth of the Magikarp Sub!
-Ash appears to have caught Impatience from Jun. Settle down Ash, I doubt the boat is that slow. Unlike you! (ba-dum-tish!)
-The part of Iron Island we see is above ground(unlike the games). Which makes sense, since it's kind of easier to build things above ground, and it'd be kind of silly to assume that there's absolutely nothing above ground anyway.
-At this point, when a lot of Pokemon with a shared trait(like, say, type) are all acting weird in a small area, you'd think the Pokemon Center's first priority would be to move said Pokemon out of the area. Especially when they mysteriously can't find anything causing said Pokemon to act strangely before a 10 year old boy in a hat shows up. Oh well, if anyone in the anime learned from the past, we wouldn't have a show.
-DIGLETT DIG! (sans trio trio trio) This show clearly doesn't have enough Diglett, seeing as I'm still amused whenever one pops up.
-Remember kids: Putting yourself in danger by standing directly in front of a rampaging wild animal stampeding towards you is a good idea!
-Steelix & Hyper Beam: Part of a complete breakfast! (*Water Gunning Milotic not included)
-Yes Ash, yelling at angry wild Pokemon will make them stop. How do you come up with these great plans?
-Uh oh, Ash was just abducted by a jazz musician
-A jazz musician cosplaying as Sir Aaron, that is.
-At this rate the only thing people/Pokemon won't be able to use aura for is making breakfast.
-And yes, aura is protecting Lucario from the madness. Showoff.
-Uh, Jun? Team Rocket didn't do anything wrong. So why did you make Heracross attack them?
-Jun just fits right in with any group, doesn't he? I guess we can all use a little ADHD spazz running around with us!
-Oh crap...BOWLCUTS. We're all doomed! DOOOOOMED!
-Seeing Purugly smack various Aron with its tail is oddly amusing.
-Seeing TR work together with the good guys is always so awesome. Mostly because it means that TR is allowed to win a little. Usually.
-Unless they're fighting TG, in which case nobody on the good guys' side is allowed to win.
-Jun? What is stopping you from using Staraptor to fly out of the ruins? Surely it's not that bad at dodging attacks in midair. I mean, the only possible reason to get out the hard was is avoiding TG on the way back, right?
-Glowing obelisks, statues of legendary Pokemon, and engravings of legendary Pokemon? That can't be good.
-And a laser hits Mt. Coronet! Presumably opening up Spear Pillar. Mmm, plot advancement tastes delicious.
-Lucario's glowing black! Better run, guys!
-Gen? Is something stopping you from putting Lucario back in its Pokeball?
-According to the preview, yes there is! Whoops!
A pretty okay episode, it's obviously just setup for the next episode with all the real action but it does that job well enough.
I should not have laughed at this as much as I did. Literally, I was in class while I was reading it and I was trying to stop my shoulders shaking.
But, yeah, episode.
Not including villain arc episodes and OVAs, this as well as the next episode have got to be my favourites from the anime.
-I just realised how Barry's Japanese voice contradicted every one of my headcanons that I had while playing the game.
-say it with me three times! Book, stop flirting! Brock, stop flirting! BROCK, STOP FLIRTING! (Sorry but that show was my childhood)
-Ayyyy, we got em now waitwaitwait wut where are you going-
-so Iron Island is predominantly above ground in this rendition of it? Ok then. I guess at least they don't have to deal with getting lost and finding dead ends-
-Oh wow Piplup.
-Ash, um.... electric is
immune to ground... Ash.... Ash- oh you know what I give up.
-aaaaand now you've gone and thrown yourself in front of the Pokemon. Ash, you do know it'll likely kill you right? Remember the Mewtwo movie? Oh wait...
-over-dramatic Riley entrance is over-dramatic. AND I LOVE IT.
-oh look a Lucario - wait don't tell me there will be references to that movie....
-so, you can use aura, right Riley? So why are you asking Lucario to do all the stuff for you?
-*pfft* haha Team Rocket not getting a chance to say their logo because of Barry is amazing.
-and then Barry asking team rocket for compensation, only for Meowth to answer "but we don't have any money anyway" is f**king brilliant *snrk*
-surprise attack... surprise attack? SURPRISE ATTACK-
-lol jk.
-dat Galactic b**ch is mean, dude!
-is Ash still trying to use the power of friendship? Hope not....
-I HAVE THE KEY!
-and this key just has an instinct to float up to that indentation? How?
-now I'm imagining Mars on her tiptoes trying to reach the keyhole and failing...
-EXTREME HYPER BEAM!
-Shield-Break Ex Machina...
-Lucario's glowing black... but show come none of the others did that? Empoleon didn't....
-so apparently now they're gonna get hit! Ooh, what'll happen- ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
Despite my satirical thoughts, I seriously enjoyed this episode. Brock felt like he was only being useful for the sake of information, and Dawn got kinda wasted, but that was about it! When it comes to referencing the eighth movie, I am probably the only who was glad about how Ash didn't reference it that much. I always felt like aura was forced onto Ash simply because he was the main protag, and felt like it should've been "use aura a lot or don't have it at all". The way it felt forced led me to not like the eighth movie as much as I should've, so I would rather that people remained quiet about it. This episode remained quiet about it. Yayyyy. Barry meeting Team Rocket this episode was also one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I was about to prepare myself for another Rocket intro (it can get on my nerves) but when Barry just didn't care I laughed so much. Also the music is amazing.
But then I need to state the thing I adored about this episode.
Oh my f**king god, is it just me or is Riley one of the most awesome characters in the whole anime? And hottest?
For this episode specifically, 8/10. Not enough of Dawn and Brock actually being useful.